t. l
h
(ihristmls the world was born.
, MAXIMS 0.? A
MERE MAN
ni-a
1
swab. solute tho morn whereon the Saviour of
ii
o
. J; . selesezsessses-eszsssgrgzg:
H
unrnlni cllulomto
Guardian, Pounded Ill‘! w!’ Guardian Two Cont:
A Christmas Message
ONE OF THE greatest Joys of Christmas festival ls the spirit of giving. Look around you alter the holiday and you will find, al- most invariably, that those who have enjoyed it most are the olles who laid themselves out to give someone else a good time.
There are, of course, men and women, restless and unsatisfied at heart, vaguely aware that they are not getting the best out of life, who try to deceive themselves. that they are enjoying the festival by carrying its grosser pleasures to excess. , ~Too mwh eating. too much
drinking.
' Too much everything, but think- '
in l
as 1.42151 Hunt wrote. But these can continue in that way only for a time. With a certainly that they cannot avert, the day comes when the body rebels against such abuse, when health will no longer endure it. Then, they realise that they have lived through the greater part of life without discovering
any real joy in Christmas. so they blame Christmas. Never do they censure-themselves. Ae- customed by life-long error z. seek happiness among their sur- ‘ rounding, or to buy it with money, they feel that the world is
' cheating them of something, or
‘that the whole convention of C... tlnss is an lmposture.
The nlessage oi the Christmas bells would setthem right if such people would sit and listen . . . and reflect. Christmas is a cro- ation oi the spirit. Its heart, its centre ls in sacred places. If many men and women who capture its Joy are not notably religicus,_they
Journey From Nazareth, Birth , 0f Christ Child
ALMOST two thousand years ago the great emperor Caesar Aug- ustus, sent out a decree that the whole world should be enrolled. Each one was to go to his own city: to the place oi his fathers. None were exempt from the decree.
From the hill town oi Nazareth‘ two people set out in answer to the summons. One, a tall, bearded figure, his shoulders sagging under the weight of years, and from the continued stopping that his trade as a carpenter necessitated. The other, a. young and beautiful wo- man, her face aglow with a strange. sweet serenity. Their names were Joseph and Mary. and they were going to the distant town of Bethlehe , because they were of the house of David.
The man walked patiently be- side the plodding donkey on which the vomsn‘ was seated. They showed no impatience as others passed them by; nor did they join with any oi their feliow travelers in venting anger against Caesar for taking them on such a long and tiresome journey.
Perhaps because or Joseph's age. or of Mary's delicate condition, they were among the last to enter Bethlehem, and to seek a shelter st the inn. They were told that there was no room for them there. Their humble appearance made no appeal to the innkeeper on a night when more prosperous guests were crowding the doors.
Disappointed and fearful. they sou ht further. But they could fl no placel me one spoke of
a cave outside the town. Joseph looked at Mary and his eyes filled with tears. But she nodded assent. And in that lowly place. warmed only by the breath of oxen, Jesus, the hope and promise oi all mau- klncL-wss born into the worldi-- Katherine Edeiman.
Christmas Everywhere ollnstmu in lands of-tbe fir and
P~m| chliéltmll lands oi the 901m m z onl-urmu 1mm snow will m"! IQhHI CK whiti- M~sun t sunny Ivsmuum. “for!” ‘Film’ ll i,‘ » m l hlilips Brooks.
are persons who by accident per- hnpe, or guided by religious in- stincts long neglected but never dead, have stumbled upon the truth which religion teaches.
And that truth is that at all times, happiness is found only in service to others. Such is the teaching cf Christ, and there can be no truly joyous celebration of the birth oi Him whose life was consecrated to the service of hu- manity, than in following His ex- ample.
Easy at all times, opportunities for such service were never more easily rendered than today. A world in which material progress has failed to bring what mankind is seeking, ls hungering and
v thirsting ior, proof that mankl d
is something more than a "pitcher of vipers each trying to get its head above the rest." There is a yearning for evidence that there survives still in human hearts those virtues oi selfishness and devotion to unworidly things that are associate‘ with those old grey steeples and ivy-mantled towers from which the bells lwill soon send forth their message of good- will to men.
isolated. impulsive acts of char- ity are not enough. They are as matches which illuminate dark places, for a moment, and then flicker out, leaving the darkness "more oppressive than before they were struck.’
What the bells call im- is the in- ltiation oi a new order—not in
"legislatures or in the fastness oi
dictators,‘ but in each human heart, an order in which liie shall be based, nb longer upon self, but upon the Christian foundation of service to others.
Let Tllecéllrist Child Into‘ Your Hearts
(By L. D. Btearns)
OVER TWO thousand Years 88° on the Judean hills, a band of shepherds listened to the first Christmas song. In the spangled heavens radiance burst like flame as the music broke across the silent night. It‘does not rpqlllre fl great deal of imagination to pic-- ture their stern, rugged features changing from swift amazement into adoration and solemnlty as the strange light grew brishm‘ and more far-reaching-the music more jubiiantly sweet. The street filled quickly with hurl-yin: throngs. l '
“Bless the 'l..ord. O. my 5W1!" chanted the holy men.
“On earth pence; good will to- ward men," rang from the sky-
"What means it?" someone cried.
"Unto you a Child is born. Unto you a King is given," came an answer from the Heavenly Host.
Blow — majestically — the Star moved across the heavens until it paused above a manger when! 9- new-born intent lsy, a soft. im- earthly radiance lighting all thfi place.
Wise men knelt with 81ml 0! gold and irankincense and myrrh. Rich and poor-wisennd simlile- old and young-bowed benefit-h that holy light on the iirst Christ- mas eve, so long ago.
Today, throughout the entire Christian world, the sons still rings. Whatever the place or style of Christmas celebration, back of it sounds the triumphant cry- "Eooee and good willl Unto you a King is given!" As it reaches once more to the individual hearts of the world shall not understanding and sympathy and kindly faith le- place harshness and intolerance. fanning gently into deeper glow the mystic gilt that i.| shedding Christmas cheer?
According to an old legend the Christ-Child wanders abroad each Christmas even with a bundle of evergreens on Bis‘ shoulder. Through rain or sleet-garments ragged-Jest bullied and torn-He is pictured traversing village and town seeking aid and homely cheer. A candied window signified His welcome thin. Aid rendered an! beggar was counted as hospitality offered the Christ. Al the old Ind new merge again into onernay brotherly love radiating clearly and fsr, proclaim, even u the shining candle oi old. "The Christ- Child may come in!"
327/’
_The People’ aper
fizz-z;
Read by Everybody
Covers Prince Edward Island Like the Dew
l
CHARLOTTET OWN, CANADA, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1935
As Joseph was awaukin’, he heard the angels sing: “This night shall be the birthnight of Christ our heavenly Today He makes His entrance here, but not as monarchs do. No gold, nor purple swaddling bands, nor if}. .4 royal shining things; a manger for His cradle stands, and holds the King of Kings.”
King.
-_.___.
Christ's Natal Day
(By BHLE WELEY DUE)
SHOUT ALOUD on' Christmas
morn, _ Help t0 banish want and sadness!
May the memory of this day Linger with you all the way.
Bo that, whatehr may betide you, Mercy will forever guide you.
Iix your thoughts onhovo and rm all crluelty mu cease.
CHRISTMAS DAY_
IT TB NOT definitely known when Christmas was first cele- brated. The institution of the fes- tival is attributed to Telcsphorus, who flourished in the reign oi An- tonlnus Pius 1131-161 A. DJ. The reason for the final choice oi De- cember 35 cannot now be deter- mined. As Christianity spread the feast oi the winter scLtice, the time when the day begins to in- crease and light to triumph over, darkness was changed into the flout oi Christ, the Light lf Life.
It is good to be chi‘drsn some- times, and never better than at Christmas, when its mighty iound- er was a child himself.
At Cllristmastide
Lights on mantel and tree-top, Lights at the window bar, And once in a dark December, The light 0f a lovely star.
Music of the bell and organ,
.Music in staeet and lane,
And once on an Eastern hillside The angels‘ glad refrain.
Gifts in castle and cottage, Gifts in hut and hall, And once in a dusty manger - The glestest Gift oi alli -Nancy Byrd ‘Turners
MAXIMS
OIA
MERE MAN
No trumpet blast profnhed the hom- in which the Prince of Ponce was born.
Annull Bulrlcrlptl By Mall
Our Christmas Story
APA AND Mama Ghent were
happy. Papa Ghent was asleep yet he smiled ls he reclined in his favorite chair, hands folded across an ample stomach, and basked in the warmth and cheer of a blazing log-fire. Mamma Ghent sat a pace or two from him rocking gently. Every now and then she would lock up from her knitting and let her gaze wander to her husband. Then she would smile when she saw his face free from sorrow-
Yes, Papa and Momma. Ghent were happy. They were happy be- cause it was Christmas Eve. And inside the bedroom, Just to the right of the cosy, charred fire- place,, their four curly-headed, blcnde children slept with the peaceful exhaustion that follows excitement, secure in the know- ledge that for the first time in their young lives, Santa Claus would visit them tonight.
Since the children arrived, each Christmas had been but another day. For many years, Papa Ghent had been unable to get steady em- ployment and the little money he received for the odd jobs he did around his distant neighbors’ homes barely provided enough food for his family.
Like many others, Papa and Momma Ghent had left their home in Eurcpeto seek the storied riches of America. They were in- dustrious, honest, peace-lovlrlg folk and would likely have succeeded under ordinary conditions but too late, unfortunately, they discov- ered that they had arrived irl Cali- ada in the midst of what everyone called a depresslom Things they didn't quite lllldefSlfllld were hap- pening. The stock market had crashed and wiped out millions of
~ The Reporter's Christmas
Have any of you, for one reason or another, ever left the cheering fire-place, the odor of good things cooking. the gifts and Jolly friend- ship of your home on Christmas Day?
Have you then walked through the almost deserted streets down- town? Did you glance into that small restaurant and 11015100 m6 man, his hat tilted back on his head, a newspaper propped W10"! him, partaking oi a frugal meal 0-" the unenticing "Christmas Tur- key-Speclsl 50o?“ You did?
‘Well, here's a little wager. We’re willing to bet that he is a reporter from that newspaper down the street. Yes, that's him.
No home-cooked Christmas din- ner for him. No happy faces around the Christmas tree as gift-s are unwrapped from their red and white paper and bright seals.
For the newspaper must Come out and his services are required just as much at Christmas as on any other day.
Tile world goes on, You know. even though most of us sit at home, secure from the howlln! winds and driving, swirling snow- Oul- families are with us and all are happy in this one day at least of good fellowship. But sometimes we forget that babies are born; people die, accidents happen lust me game and, for the reporter in many cases, it's just another day~
1 met a newspaperman, a friend of mine last Christmas. When 1 questioned him, he replied‘- “Christmas Dav? Hm-m- I" 3"“ Tuesday to mei"
LITTLE CHRIST CHILD
THERE was cheer at the inn. with the windows alight,
But no room to offer a child that night;
Th0 little cllrlst-clllld, so tender and small,
They made him a couch in the cow's rough stall.
They covered hlm_ in the mangor-‘s straw,
Only the humble cattle saw.
Warmth in the village, cheer at the
inn,
And the straw in the manger scent and thin.
But the angels sang on a hill near ‘by. ’
And a gold star rose in the win- fer sky.
His mother plllowed Him on her
dollars invested by the Meme, business was almost at a stzmdgtu] and it was certain that there was no work for these poor immi- grants.
But one thing they did under- stand. Their children must be r¢=d_
So after many heart-breaking Weeks in _the city when Papa Ghent walked the streets in all kinds of weather looking in vain for work-any kind of work—their pitifully small supply oi funds al- most exhausted, Papa and Mamlna Ghent moved their children into the northern woods where they knew that Nature, at least, would provide food.
With their last few dollars they made the first payment on a piece of land and Papa, Ghent, with his own hands, built and furnished their cosy little cabin on the shores of a densely wooded lake. The nearest town was three miles distant and the road leading to it ran quite near to the rough but comfortable Ghent house.
For months, Papa Ghent pro- vided food by means of his gun, his one cherished possession. The woods were full of game in the autumn and early winter, the lake teemed with fish, and in the sum- mer they all picked berries which Mamma Ghent preserved for the long winter months. Besides. Papa Ghent had started a modest little garden where he grew veg- etables to sustain them.
But today, Papa and Mamma Ghent were really happy. For Just a. week ago, Papa Ghent had been given permanent work in the lum- ber mili up the lake. And with his iirst week's wages in his pocket he was able to promise the child-
(Continued on Page 4)
Céiiééfipes 0111-1861558
Was a Grand Revelation
HRXBTMAS was approaching and Gulseppe was lonesome. There were others in the school from foreign lands but no one spoke Giuseppe's language.
Christmas had been so much fun in Italy. In the province where Giuseppe lived, astree decked with oranges was the center of their Christmas festivities. All the rel.- atlves came to a big feast on Christmas day and afterwards cld and young danced around the or- ange tree, and. oi course, some folks had a miniature manger with St. Joseph and other figures.
“I don't see how I am ever go- ing to stand it," Giuseppe told his mother. -
But she had smiled and said, "It will be all right, son. You'll
Then Christmas preparations be- gan at school. Tilere were carols to be sung-carols in five langu- ages, and Giuseppe was to sing the carols of his country, all by ilim- self. Giuseppe was very proud There was a play with tile lllmlger and the wise men, shepherds. angels and Mary the Virgin, and Joseph. Giuseppe could hardly be- lieve his ears when he found he was to be Joseph. And after the program there was the tree.
“It was grand, waslrt it." Giuseppe said to ills mctllel- and father as tiley walke<l'ilome to- gether, and mother and father flgf€€d.—-F10l'€l1£8 Harris Wells.
arm And the little sleeper was glad and warm. Hundreds and hundreds have gone, And still the angels are singing on; Still the light of that lovely star Over the world-iliils shines afar; Still into the hearts whore love is bright The Christ-Child enters on Christ- mls night. —~Youths’ Companion
From An Old Carol
A lloie in my stocking,
A hole in my shoe,
Please will you give me a copper or two?
If yéou haven‘t copper silver will
God bless
of years
or If you haven't silver, you.
Delivered ll-ll cur-an and u. s. s. 54M
T‘?
o